Dispensers for washing machines



8, 1967 .J. CARTWRIGHT DISPENSERS FUR WASHING MACHINES Filed Feb. 8, 1965 United States Patent 3,334,499 DISPENSERS FOR WASHING MACHINES Jessie Cartwright, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Borg-Warner Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 431,144 3 Claims. (Cl. 68-2t)7) The present invention relates to an attachment for a washer having a centrally located agitator, and more particularly to a dispenser for mounting on the agitator.

At times it is desired, during washing of articles such as clothes, to introduce an additive into the water, for example, bleach. Care must be followed in introducing the additive, if it is bleach, so as not to contact the articles directly with the concentrated product prior to wetting. Otherwise, what are known as bleach burns and spotting can result. The latter can damage the articles and, in the instance of wearing apparel, so damage their appearance as to make them completely useless. Furthermore, in introducing the additive, it is desirable that it be mixed thoroughly with the water and that this be done at the proper time in the operation of the washer. If bleach is added, it is desirable that it be introduced at the beginning of the agitation period so that bleach has an opportunity to clean the clothes during the full time.

In the past, various structures have been used for introducing additives to be mixed with water in a washer. These includes dispensers which introduce the additive at some point in the wash water recirculation lines. Of course, this dispenser cannot be used where recirculation of the wash water is not used. Other dispensers include various structures such as convolutions and stepped floors to insure that the additive is introduced at the proper time as the agitator oscillates or spins, depending upon the point of the cycle through which the washer is going. The cost of manufacturing the latter dispensers, their being a product of a highly competitive industry in some instances, has made them commercially impractical.

It is further undesirable to have a washer operate by simply spilling a quantity of additive into the washer at the beginning of a wash cycle. This is because it is not always apparent whether the articles have been sulficiently wetted so that an additive such as bleach will disperse on contact rather than burn a spot.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved additive dispenser of simple construction, installable on standard type agitators which assures that the additive is introduced into the wash Water so that no concentrated additive contacts dry articles, such as clothes, to possibly damage them.

A more detailed object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser, usable, for example, to introduce bleach into wash water, which is easily installed on standard type agitators, and serves an additional function of defining a load level indicator to which a Wash container, for example, a tub, is filled with dry clothes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an additive dispenser which gradually introduces the additive into the wash water by gravity feed and includes means to prevent articles in the wash container, while yet dry, from moving under the dispensed additive and being contacted directly thereby.

It is an overall object of the present invention to provide an economically manufacturable and easily installable dispenser usable to introduce additive to wash water which is reliable in operation and insures that articles being washed are not damaged by direct contact with the additive.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical section of an automatic washer, with an additive dispenser constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical section showing the details of the additive dispenser of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the dispenser shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

Turning now to the drawings and FIGURE 1, thereshown is a fragmentary vertical section of an automatic washer 10 described in detail in copending application of Carl Knerr, filed June 1, 1964, and having United States Ser. No. 371,245, in which is embodied the present invention. In general the machine 10 includes an outer cabinet 11 enclosing a tub 12 which is open at the top. Coaxially mounted within the tub 12 for relative rotation with respect thereto is a perforate basket 14 also being open at the top. A centrally located shaft 15, positioned along the common axis of the tub and basket, carries an agitator 16 and three equally spaced vanes, one of which 16a is shown. The latter is oscillated during predetermined periods in a Wash cycle via drive transmitted by shaft 15' from a power source (not shown) such as a transmission driven by an electric motor. Access to the tub and basket is through a top opening 17 in the cabinet 11 selectively closed by a hinged lid 18.

Articles to be washed are placed in the basket and water is fed therein through a fiume 19. Because the basket is perforate, the water seeks the same level both inside and outside the basket. The tub serves as a water-tight container. As is explained in detail in the aforementioned Knerr application, in a typical cycle of washer operation, as a first step, the tub is filled with water to a desired level. Next, the agitator is is operated to and fro to wash the clothes. Subsequently, the wash water is drained and the basket is spun, through a drive train (not shown) to remove sudsy water from the articles. Thereafter, rinse water is added and the remaining suds in the articles is taken out. Finally, the rinse water is drained and the basket is rotated to spin dry the clothes.

It is customary to introduce additives to the wash water and at times to the rinse water. Depending upon the additive, it is important that it be introduced at the proper time in the sequential operation of the washer, for example, if the additive is bleach, it is desirable that it be added to the wash water at the beginning of the agitation cycle. Especially important in the latter instance is that the concentrated bleach out directly contact dry or slightly wet clothing. If either of the latter occur, there is a possibility of the articles being burned or spotted.

In accordance with the present invention, an improved additive dispenser 20 is mounted atop the agitator 16- for introducing additives to the wash water while assuring that the adidtives do not directly contact articles being washed. In the present instance, the dispenser 20 includes a mounting assembly 21 adapted to engage a top portion 24 of agitator 16. In the preferred embodiment, the mounting assembly 21 includes a frusto-conical portion 22, telescoped over a complementarily shaped agitator end portion 24, and a depending cylindrical extension 25. The cylindrical extension 25 is formed with a plurality of tabs 28, 29, and 30. The cylindrical extension and tabs telescope over the agitator end and engage the structure thereon to effect a stable mounting, in the present instance, a shelf 26 is carried by the agitator and the tabs snap into engagement therewith to hold the dispenser in mounted position. In the illustrative embodiment, a nut 31 is threaded on an upwardly extending portion 32 of the agitator drive shaft 15. Though in the present instance the nut 31, when tightened engages the top of the frusto-conical portion 22 of the dispenser 20 holding down the latter, tabs 28, 29, 30 can alone effectively hold the dispenser in place.

For receiving and storing the additive while it is being introduced into the wash water, a reservoir portion 33 is provided at the top of the dispenser 20. In the present instance, the reservoir is of annular shape and has an inside wall 34- defined by the frusto-oonical portion 22, a generally cylindrical outside wall 35, and a bottom or floor 36 joining the respective inside and outside walls 34, 35. The structure is preferably molded as one piece with suitable openings formed in the floor 36, in the present instance, four openings, 33, 39, 40, 41, permitting present instance the nut 31, when tightened, engages the reservoir 34 into the wash water below the dispenser 20.

In the illustrative embodiment of the dispenser, two different means, either of which is effective by itself, are shown for preventing relative movement between the agitator and dispenser, thus assuring that the additive is sloshed about within the reservoir 33 to prevent plugging of the dispensing openings by lint. First, a washer 37 effects frictional engagement between the dispenser and the agitator radial shelf 26. Secondly, the depending extension of dispenser sidewall 35 is notched to form the tabs 28, 29, 30 and thereby provide engagement with the agitator vanes.

To assure that articles do not move under the openings from which the additive is flowing, a skirt 42 is formed as an integral extension of the upper reservoir outside wall 35. The skirt 42 flares down and outwardly forming in conjunction with the agitator top an isolated area for the additive discharged from the openings to mix with sloshing water. The skirt 42 by being positioned outboard of the openings 3841 in the manner described prevents articles floating atop the water level from moving under the reservoir openings. The size of the skirt can be changed to adjust for washers with different distances between the water level and the top of the agitator. The distance the skirt depends is also useful to define a load line to which the basket is to be filled with dry clothes.

In operation, using bleach as an example, after the tub is filled with water to the desired level and before agitation has begun, a housewife places a predetermined quantity of bleach into the reservoir 33. Once agitation begins, water is sloshed by action of the agitator 16 and splashes up and under the skirt 42, taking into solution the additive being dripped through the respective reservoir openings 38, 39, 40, 41. As the additive is put into solution, it performs its function, be it bleach, the articles are whitened and cleaned. The additive does not contact the clothes until it has been diluted or put into solution in the wash water. Thus, concentrated bleach for example, does not contact dry clothing and cause bleach burns or spots. The size of the openings can be adjusted as well as the number of openings so as to effect a desired rate of introduction of the additive into the wash water.

As another feature of the present invention, the skirt 42 curves in the downward direction so as todivert water sloshing upwardly about the agitator 16. Accordingly, the lid 18 can be opened while the agitator is operating and water does not splash out onto the housewife or surrounding environment. The same curved skirt structure also contributes to mixing bleach into the wash water.

As is clear from the foregoing, the present inventive additive dispenser is of simple construction, permitting economical manufacture and easy installation. In the illustrative embodiment, the simple snap-on mounting of the dispenser atop an agitator allows the housewife to easily install or remove the unit as the need requires. By manufacturing the dispenser with openings 38, 39, 40, 41 of dilferent sizes, various adidtives may be used. Along this same line, the increasing of the opening sizes permits selection of a higher rate of additive feed into the water.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing description of the exemplary inventive structure and its operation, oscillation of the agitator, if that is the point where the additive is being introduced, assures uniform dispersing of the additive into the wash water. Furthermore, the continual swirling of the additive in the reservoir 33 assures that lint or other sediment does not plug the openings.

I claim:

1. A fluid additive dispenser for an article washing machine having a container for holding water with a top access opening for receiving articles, said container also having an agitator provided with a radially extending shelf adjacent its top end adapted to agitate the articles and water, comprising in combination, mounting means including a plurality of depending tabs adapted to snap on the agitator shelf, a reservoir portion carried by said mounting means and formed with a top opening for receiving said fluid additive, said reservoir having a bottom provided with openings for trickling said fluid additive into the water to be mixed therewith, and a skirt extending below and surrounding said reservoir bottom to prevent clothes from being moved into direct contact with said additive trickling downwardly.

2. A dispenser for an article washing machine having a container for holding water with a top access opening for receiving articles, said container also having an agitator therein adapted to agitate the articles and water, comprising in combination, mounting means adapted to engage the top of said agitator, a reservoir portion carried by said mounting means for receiving and holding a fluid additive, said reservoir having a bottom, openings formed in said bottom for trickling said fluid additive directly into the water to be mixed therewith, and a skirt supported by said mounting means and extending below and surrounding said reservoir bottom to prevent clothes from moving into direct contact with said additive trickling downwardly, said skirt being inclined downwardly so as to divert water, splashing about the central portion of said agitator, in a downward direction away from the container access opening and thereby facilitate mixing of said bleach and the wash water.

3. A dispenser for use with an article washing machine having a container for holding a liquid, said container having an agitator therein adapted to agitate the articles and liquid, said dispenser comprising mounting means adapted to engage an upper portion of said agitator, a eservoir portion including a bottom carried by said mounting means for receiving and storing an additive to be introduced directly into the washing liquid, openings formed in said reservoir bottom for gravity feeding said additive directly into the container for mixing with the liquid, and means carried by said mounting mean-s and positioned outward of and extending downward relative to said openings to prevent articles from moving into the area where said additive and liquid are being mixed, said downwardly extending means includes a frusto-conical portion adapted to surround the upper portion of said agitator to prevent clothes from moving under the additive feeding means, said frusto-conical portion assuring sloshing action of liquid to effectively mix said additive and liquid in the vicinity of said feeding means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,821,848 2/1958 Becker 68-l7 2,982,120 5/1961 Pelensky 68l7 X 3,086,380 4/1963 Gerhardt et al. 68-17 3,091,108 5/196'3 Martin et a1. 6817 3,132,500 5/1964 Bullock 68-17 IRVING BUNEVICH, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FLUID ADDITIVE DISPENSER FOR AN ARTICLE WASHING MACHINE HAVING A CONTAINER FOR HOLDING WATER WITH A TOP ACCESS OPENING FOR RECEIVING ARTICLES, SAID CONTAINER ALSO HAVING AN AGITATOR PROVIDED WITH A RADIALLY EXTENDING SHELF ADJACENT ITS TOP END ADAPTED TO AGITATE THE ARTICLES AND WATER, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, MOUNTING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF DEPENDING TABS ADAPTED TO SNAP ON THE AGITATOR SHELF, A RESERVOIR PORTION CARRIED BY SAID MOUNTING MEANS AND FORMED WITH A TOP OPENING FOR RECEIVING SAID FLUID ADDITIVE, SAID RESERVOIR HAVING A BOTTOM PROVIDED WITH OPENINGS FOR TRICKLING SAID FLUID ADDITIVE INTO THE WATER TO BE MIXED THEREWITH, AND A SKIRT EXTENDING BELOW AND SURROUNDING SAID RESERVOIR BOTTOM TO PREVENT CLOTHES FROM BEING MOVED INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH SAID ADDITIVE TRICKLING DOWNWARDLY. 